Former Sen. Donnelly knocks on doors for little-known Statehouse candidate

Former Indiana Sen. Joe Donnelly made a rare foray into local politics by holding a town hall and going door to door Saturday with little-known Statehouse candidate Pete Cowden. 

Donnelly, a Democrat who lost his seat two years ago to Mike Braun, also gave Cowden $10,000 in January.

At best, Cowden, 32, is a long shot to beat state Sen. Mike Young in Senate District 35, which stretches from Speedway into Hendricks County. Young, 69, a Republican, has held that seat for 20 years with fairly comfortable election results. 

Donnelly's Indiana roots are in South Bend, not Indianapolis. So what's the deal?

Turns out Cowden and Donnelly struck up a bit of a friendship due to Cowden's military service. 

Cowden is an Army Ranger who served three combat tours through 2014. After he was wounded in Afghanistan, he said he reached out to several members of Indiana's Congressional delegation because paperwork to discharge him back to the United States was moving slowly. Donnelly's office answered. 

Cowden said he was in an awful place — too wounded to serve in the field, taking prescribed pain killers and going through depression — as months dragged on into years as he waited to go home.  

"Within six weeks of talking to his office," Cowden said. "I was on my way home where I could begin to heal with my family both mentally and physically. Had his office ignored me, my life could have taken a different path."

Cowden, who graduated from North Central in 2007, is now a veteran's assistance officer in Wayne Township. Cowden said he has post-traumatic stress disorder and he appreciates efforts Donnelly took to help veterans and others with it. 

In return for Donnelly's help, Cowden worked in a minor field role in the senator's reelection campaign in 2018. When Cowden decided to run for a state seat, he called up Donnelly, who immediately offered to help. 

"Sen. Donnelly and I have a lot in common," Cowden said, "when it comes to fighting for Hoosiers and treating everyone with dignity and respect and when it comes to working our tails off." 

Donnelly hasn't been much involved with Indiana politics. He has given $3,000 to 5th District Congressional candidate Christina Hale. He gave $10,000 to a commissioner in his own community in St. Joseph County. He hasn't made many public appearances on behalf of candidates. 

The Cowden case was different, though. 

"During my time in the U.S. Senate I made it my mission to help veterans when they come home so they can heal from the wounds of war and be leaders in their communities," Donnelly said. "The best example of that is Pete Cowden."

Mike Young is taking it in stride. He could be heard joking a few times in the Statehouse earlier this year that Donnelly was taking an interest in his race alone. Reached Friday by IndyStar, he said it's just a coincidence Donnelly's former campaign employee lives in his district. 

"If a former employer can't stick up for their guy," Young said, "he's not much of an employer. Pete was his field guy, and I think that's something that Donnelly should do. There should be some loyalty." 

Mike Young has had some help too. 

U.S. Sen. Todd Young, a Republican, has been helping several Statehouse Republicans, including Mike Young, who is not related. Mike Young said he raised $20,000 at a fundraiser last week in which the senator spoke digitally from Washington, D.C. The fundraiser also benefited fellow Indianapolis-based state senators Aaron Freeman and Jack Sandlin. 

Cam Savage, a spokesman for Todd Young, said the senator has campaigned on behalf of than two dozen candidates, including Victoria Spartz in the 5th District.  

“Sen. Todd Young has enjoyed campaigning with Indiana candidates this year," Savage said. 

Call IndyStar reporter Chris Sikich at 317-444-6036. Follow him on Twitter: @ChrisSikich.